Oil drilling begins in China-operated Uganda field

Oil drilling has begun in a Chinese-operated field in Uganda and the East African country expects to start production by 2025, an official said Tuesday. The spokesman for Uganda’s ministry of energy and mineral development, Solomon Muyita, said the beginning of drilling at the Kingfisher oil field in the Kikuube district was “a significant stride” toward achieving commercial oil production.

The project has been strongly criticized on environmental grounds. The China National Offshore Oil Corporation, CNOOC, operates the field. Uganda is estimated to have recoverable oil reserves of at least 1.4 billion barrels. Muyita also said construction is starting this year on the 897-mile East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline, planned by Total Energies and CNOOC, between Uganda and the Indian Ocean port of Tanga in Tanzania.

Authorities have described it as the world’s longest heated oil pipeline. Muyita said the pipeline should be done by 2025 as well.